Pharmacy Select — the umbrella organization of pharmacy buying groups Pharmacy Provider Services Corp. (PPSC), Pace Alliance and Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) — has begun marketing the flu shot program immediately to its 4,000 member pharmacies, and patients will be able to reserve their flu shot on the VaxAmerica online scheduler.

The program will open its doors to residents of communities near any of the participating pharmacies so they can receive a flu vaccination, Pharmacy Select and VaxAmerica said Thursday.

"Our goal is to provide a service to our member pharmacies that will allow them to offer flu vaccine clinics to their communities," stated Kristen Reabe, vice president of contracts for Pharmacy Select. "VaxAmerica offers a convenient, safe and affordable vaccination program and brings a tremendous opportunity to our member pharmacies who are looking to offer vaccines for their patients."

VaxAmerica is a program of the NuFACTOR specialty pharmacy of FFF Enterprises, one of the nation's largest distributors of flu vaccine. Offering online scheduling and flexible billing options, VaxAmerica enables individuals to reserve flu immunizations for themselves and their family members at a convenient location.

"We have created a model to make it easy and convenient for people to protect themselves from the flu," commented Nancy Creadon, vice president of VaxAmerica. "Vaccination is always the first line of defense, and through our offering with Pharmacy Select and their partners PPSC, Pace Alliance and IPC, we will now be able to bring assistance to the independent pharmacies that reach people in large and small communities across the United States."

This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded its recommendation for flu shots to include all people age 6 months and older. The VaxAmerica-Pharmacy Select clinics will have flu vaccines available for those age 4 and older. Also available for seniors age 65 and older will be a new high-dose influenza vaccine from manufacturer Sanofi-Pasteur.